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Saturday, 30 January 2016

Brown Rice Veg Biriyani ! (One Pot)

This weekend special is a one pot healthy Vegetable Biriyani! This is the first time I am encountering Brown Rice for Biryanis. Back in Bangalore when we used to buy brown rice and use it for daily use with sambar / Dal. But I somehow wasn't happy with the taste and I almost quit using brown rice.

Now, a couple of days back I grabbed a brown rice pack and decided to use it for spicy pulaos and biriyanis. That way Indian spices and their flavors dominate that anyone would even forget that is even made of brown rice.

Brown Rice takes very long time to cook, approx 50 minutes to an hour. And it needs prior soaking too without it , you will be cooking it all day. But yes, there is one brilliant invention, the pressure cooker where you can cook them quickly leaving them for 3 - 4 whistles.

Brown rice is very healthy and diabetic friendly. The health benefits of brown rice continue with its fiber, which has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels, one more way brown ricehelps prevent atherosclerosis. Fiber also helps out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, so brown rice is an excellent grain choice for people with diabetes.(Courtesy, Google)

I have posted many biriyani recipes in the past, and In veg category you must have seen the Veg Dum Biriyani cooked in hyderabadi style where rice and vegetables are layered and simmered for a long time. But this one today is a One pot Biriyani where rice and veggies are cooked together with aromatic spices.

Though the ingredients used in both the Biriyanis are almost same, only their cooking methods differ.

If you are interested in any Non Veg Biriyanis, do check them out and enjoy your weekend.

Wash well and soak the brown rice for 1 hour. Meanwhile chop all veggies, and slice one onion. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the onions (either deep or shallow fry) until they are nicely browned. Add a pinch of salt and sugar when frying.

After 45 minutes of soaking rice, we can start with making biriyani, so that by the time we add the rice it will an hour of soaking.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed broad pot, and once hot add all the while spices ans saute for a minute in medium flame.

Then add the sliced onion and saute until it is slightly brown. Combine ginger garlic paste and saute both till onions are nice and brown.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook till they soft and mushy. Then add all the chopped vegetables and saute them well with the onion & tomatoes

Add salt as needed and all the spice powders (except garam masala) and give a mix. Allow it to cook for a minute

Now throw in the chopped coriander and mint, slit green chillis and the yogurt and mix well. Close and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.

Add sufficient water (1 : 3 = rice : water) and once the water comes to a boil, add the soaked brown rice and give a mix.

Close the pot and cook in medium flame for 40 minutes. By this time all water would be absorbed and rice should be almost cooked. Now sprinkle garam masala and the kewra water, spread the browned onions randomly.

Close and cook for another 10 - 12 minutes until rice is fully cooked.

Turn off the stove and let it rest for 10 minutes, open and squeeze lemon juice and fluff the rice with a fork.

THe rice may look sticky as soon as you open, but will be fine in a while.

NOTES

Adjust spices and powders as per taste.

Same recipe can be made with normal white basmati rice and will be cooked in 15 minutes.

To make the cooking process faster, use a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles and let the steam release on its own.

Brown rice needs more water than normal rice. SO I used 1 : 3 here whereas usually its 1 : 2

Kewra water is optional but it gives a nice flavor to the biriyani.

The vegetables added are your choice, I forgot to add green peas.

Cooking in a stock pot actually takes lot of time, Mine took total for an hour for the rice to cook perfectly.

Wow! Such an amazing and helpful post this is. I really really love it. It's so good and so awesome. I am just amazed. I hope that you continue to do your work like this in the future also. vectorize image